So, Actually, We Don't Want Sydney Sweeney's Jeans

Sydney Sweeney's latest role isn't one you might have expected: internet main character (for better or worse) of the week.

The actress, known for breakout roles in Euphoria and Immaculate, is the face of a questionable new ad campaign for American Eagle. The ads, which find her lounging in unbuttoned Canadian tuxedos, rely on a pun, interchangeably referring to denim jeans and hereditary genes.

Many have argued, however, that the ad's subtext is laden with a dog whistle for eugenics. Naturally, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz defended the ad.

In her best, dizzied attempt at a sultry voice, the White Lotus actress says, "genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue." The ad ends with a voice-over of a man saying, "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans." Critics have noted the bizarre fashioning of this theme as it pertains to Sweeney fitting the archetype of commonly perpetuated Western beauty standards: blonde and thin with blue eyes.

Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle, oh my god. pic.twitter.com/tDkeGT9R7G

— Sydney Sweeney Daily (@sweeneydailyx) July 24, 2025

We won't get too pedantic, but we are writers around here. If we're to believe the ad copy is referencing the actual pants she's wearing, wouldn't the ill-fitting '90s jeans we salvaged from our dad's Goodwill piles have turned our eyes blue, too?

And dare we ask — culture wars aside — does anyone actually wear American Eagle jeans anymore?

As is the typical form for the internet now, parodies and responses were swift. Doja Cat re-read Sweeney's script with a hilariously exaggerated Southern accent.

"Don't you wish you had my jeans?" Sweeney asks in another video from the campaign. If they're the same American Eagle jeans giving her diaper ass in the video, then not really! 

So, we've got some suggestions for places we guarantee she'll find cooler, better quality jeans the next time she sneaks into Dallas with Glen Powell.

AAVintage

2811 N Henderson Ave.
Caitlin Brax owns AA Vintage in the Knox/Henderson area and has earned the shop a reputation as a denim destination. Her ability to match people to the perfect fit of jeans based solely on a few key descriptors ("light wash but baggy") and her expert eye have dubbed her "Dallas' denim whisperer." Searching her nickname on TikTok will lead you down a rabbit hole of vloggers who can attest to her magic.

Dallas Denim Repair

420 W Davis St.
You don't even need to buy new jeans, actually. If your good jeans have seen better days, you can get them repaired at this specialty shop in Oak Cliff. The heartbreaking albeit inevitable crotch split that so often causes a premature departure from that sacred pair in your wardrobe is no match for the duo of Javier Tellez and Belinda Barbosa. But, if denim is the subject of your retail therapy sessions at the moment, you can peruse their shelves, too. The store has a selection of both new/unworn selvedge denim as well as worthy vintage picks. 

Stag Provisions

3130 Knox St., No. 110
It's hard to say who the target audience is for Sweeney's ad is, exactly. "I bet you wanna try these jeans" is delivered in a seductive tone as she rolls up the drowning waistline of what appear to be men's jeans. So, we thought we'd include one for the guys. Stag Provisions was founded in Austin and has only two locations, one of them nestled into the Knox end of Knox/Henderson. Granted, this shop leans on the pricier end with selvedge jeans from labels like Double RL and Imogene + Willie. But, with jeans, the old adage of "you get what you pay for" is usually paramount. You'll find American Eagle at Thrift Giant, but these would be elusive grails.

Who wants to be on the same side of an argument as Ted Cruz, anyway?